Resources - Policies and Legislation

This policy brief was published on August 30, 2017 in support of the efforts of the Department of Finance (DOF) in reforming the tax system toward a fairer and more sustainable one, especially in regard to fossil fuels. The DOF intends to propose a coal tax to the legislature before the end of the year (Package 5).

This position paper on the petroleum excise tax was read by ICSC environmental economics advisor Dr. Marian Delos Angeles during the 13th Public Hearing of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Bills held on August 10, 2017.

The People’s Survival Fund Board (PSFB) met for the 11th time in 11 August 2017 at the board room of the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Finance. The Fund board meeting was attended by members and alternate members from the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Climate Change Commission (CCC), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and the NGO representative. Observers from the office of Senator Loren Legarda and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) were also present.

The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) Board held its 9th and 10th meetings last July 5 and 20, 2017, respectively, at the Department of Finance in Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Highlights of said meetings, including key interventions from the NGO representative to the PSF Board as well as annexes, are included in our updates (downloadable PDF format).

ICSC sent the following position paper and detailed tabular comments on the draft rules for distribution generation company licensing last July 4, 2017, to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) under the Department of Energy. The draft rules address key segments of solar rooftop business potential, the categorization and regulation of industry players, which include providers, households, commercial and industrial customers, the distribution utilities.

Authored by Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV. An Act Providing Incentives for the Mainstream Use, Manufacture, Assembly and Conversion of Electric, Hybrid and Other Alternative Fuel Vehicles and for other purposes

Authored by Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes. An Act Providing Incentives for the Manufacture, Assembly, Conversion and Importation of Electric, Hybrid and other Alternative Fuel Vehicles, for other purposes.

Authored by Senator Ralph G. Recto. An Act Promoting Environmentally Sustainable Transport by Providing Incentives for the Manufacture, Assembly, Conversion and Importation of Electric, Hybrid and Other Clean Energy Vehicles, and for other purposes

An Act Providing Incentives for the Manufacture, Assembly, Conversion, and Importation of Electric, Hybrid, and Other Alternative Fuel Vehicles, and for other purposes. Description: House Version of the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Bill, 15th Congress of the Philippines.

An Act Providing Incentives for the Manufacture, Assembly, Conversion, and Importation of Electric, Hybrid, and Other Alternative Fuel Vehicles, and for other purposes. Description: Senate Version of the Alternative Fuel Vehicles Bill, 15th Congress of the Philippines.

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, in his explanatory note of SB 2558, explains the need for the amendment of Republic Act of 9729, otherwise known as the ‘Climate Change Act of 2009’. According to him, the Climate Change Commission that was created by the RA 9729 has yet to deliver a concrete implementation and financial policies to carry out the mandate of the said law. Furthermore, the vagueness in the provisions of the said law resulted to inconsistency in the funding priorities which, as a consequence, resulted to missed opportunities for funding.

In his explanatory note of House Bill 3528, Representative Lorenzo Tanada III of the Fourth District of Quezon explains that although there is a legislation made to confront the needs of the country in terms of climate change under Republic Act 9729, otherwise known as the ‘Climate Change Act of 2009’, the objectives of the law to a long-term, predictable, and transparent sources of finance for climate change adaptation projects based on the accepted fiduciary standards of the country should be strengthened.

House Bill 3528 introduced by Lorenzo Tanada seeks to amend the provisions of Republic Act 9729, otherwise known as the ‘Climate Change Act of 2009’. The addition made in this House Bill, among others, is the definition of Climate Finance, Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) and Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups, the Climate Change Commission and its Composition, the creation of the Climate Change Office and the insertion of Sec. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 under a new Title III entitled ‘The People’s Survival Fund’.

An act establishing the people’s survival fund to provide long-term finance streams to enable the government to effectively address the problem of climate change, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 9729, otherwise known as the “Climate Change Act of 2009”

"A Study to Revisit the LGU Financing Framework and Its Implementation" is a report prepared by Anthony J. Pellegrini and Ma. Cecilia G. Soriano for the Department of Finance. The main purpose of this study is to revisit and propose amendments to the Local Government Unit (LGU) Financing Framework. Among the changes being proposed in this paper is the review of cost sharing arrangements between the national and local governments and the Municipal Development Fund, government financial institutions in terms of their roles and responsibilities.